Starting a new business can be a scary proposition. Which is why we want to share some roofing startup tips.
The fear of failure looms large, but this is a normal feeling that every business owner has experienced when they first began building their brand.
Lateef Farooqui was once a new business owner. He wanted to start a telemarketing company that would sell leads to roofers, and did so successfully for over a decade before changes in the market influenced his decision to sell the business.
But being an entrepreneur didn’t end when Farooqui sold his business. He went straight into another venture, founding and developing Boss Up Solutions.
Boss Up Solutions helps roofing companies trim the fat off some of their operations and become a more well-oiled machine.
With so many years of experience in the roofing industry, Farooqui is a great resource for all things roofing.
“Do you have any advice for new roofing companies?”
Dmitry asks Farooqui as the two discuss various aspects of the industry from inside the comforts of Roofing Insights’ office space.
“Learn from other people’s mistakes,”
Farooqui responds.
Too often Farooqui has to guide business owners through the same issues that many before them have encountered. This stems predominantly from the stubbornness many roofers exhibit.
Even though these roofers are paying him for his insights, Farooqui feels that the industry as a whole would be best served if there was a willingness to adapt.
Farooqui also mentions that when people hire consultants, they’re often hiring these people not for their perceived perfections, but to be advised how NOT to do something.
The same goes for call centers. There are certain ways marketers can appeal to roofers that don’t involve gimmicks or catchy slogans.
“Roofers are very passionate,”
Farooqui says with a chuckle, noting how roofers can be a marketer’s best friend when things are going well, but also that during dark times roofers can flip into insanely crazed clients who demand results.
It all depends on the level of communication between both parties.
“If you communicate, they [roofers] are some of the best people out there,”
Farooqui adds.
With nearly a dozen years of industry experience, Farooqui says his ideal client is
“somebody who’s not stubborn, who’s willing to listen and adapt.”
Farooqui and Boss Up Solutions are all about collaboration, but that’s exactly what it has to be: a partnership and not one side demanding the other to acquiesce to their wishes.
“If you hire someone to solve your issues, and you still want them to do it your way, then it’s not going to work. You have to be willing to do something certain people’s ways,”
Farooqui tells his new clients before they begin working together.
Other issues in the telemarketing world include roofing companies not paying for their leads, especially when those leads prove to be successful.
“The problem is people say they’ll do something, [but only] when it’s easy and convenient,”
Farooqui says, describing how many roofers will commit to paying their fees, but then once it’s time to honor that agreement, they’re nowhere to be found.
Farooqui gets it
He knows there are many telemarketing companies who ask for money and then never produce leads. Therefore, it is incumbent upon both roofers and telemarketers to do better by each other so that a renewed collaboration can continue in the future. That will be the only way to reverse the trend of roofers going away from telemarketers.
Speaking of trends, Farooqui mentions that another problem marketing companies have these days is they don’t offer diverse and flexible portfolios that can appeal to their potential clients.
For example, many companies will claim they can get roofing businesses onto the first page of Google, but there is only so much room on the first page, that getting all their clients onto that first page is impossible.
These types of empty promises make marketing companies appear limited and untrustworthy. That’s exactly where Farooqui thinks those marketers go wrong.
“Don’t pigeon-hole yourself into one service or product. Learn and adapt,”
Farooqui advises other marketers, and businesses.
“But then there are roofing companies who take those words too far and invest in every app on the market, thinking that will put them above their competition.”
This is where Farooqui and Boss Up Solutions come in. When they consult with companies, they remove apps that don’t serve a purpose.
Dmitry, ever the minimalist, also strongly opposes downloading dozens of apps. He instead encourages business owners to do research on which products can best service their business’ needs.
And once you have the perfect combination of apps, maximize them for all they’re worth. Most people don’t know how much technology actually has to offer, but if you take the time to discover all your phone, computer, or CRM can do, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Tired of scammers in the roofing industry?
So is everyone else.
The solution?
“More knowledge. More awareness,”
Farooqui insists.
He says having a better understanding of how the business works can help consumers avoid con artists like Shane Lee when they show up at their doorsteps. This again means people will have to take the initiative in order to control the fate of their experience with a contractor, because unfortunately, hungry con artists are still out there.
“Don’t feed con artists,”
Farooqui smirks, himself having been a victim of Shane Lee’s antics.
Want to go to Mexico?
It’s simple:
Comment below or on the YouTube video above and tell us about your experiences with CRMs.
Lateef Farooqui will choose a winner and then he will host that person at his place down in Guadalajara, Mexico!
